Mars Perseverance Rover’s Helicopter Runs on Linux

[Peter_Brosdahl]

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech



This week’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover landing marks another triumph for Linux, as its remote-controlled helicopter, Ingenuity, runs on the open-source OS. Ingenuity will attempt a number of short flights on the red planet, around 90 seconds each, which will be challenging based on the thin air density (roughly 1 percent of Earth’s) and temperature of Mars. Tim Canham, Mars Helicopter Operations Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, sat down with IEEE Spectrum and explained how they will be using the popular OS.



This the first time we’ll be flying Linux on Mars. We’re actually running on a Linux operating system. The software framework that we’re using is one that we developed at JPL...

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[Auer]

Fine I guess, as long as you don't plan to play games on it.

 

[Brian_B]

Fine I guess, as long as you don't plan to play games on it.

Space Invaders

 

[Dogsofjune]

Just needs Proton, it'll do fine for games.

This is cool stuff. I hope they come away with some good info with this rover setup

 

[Brian_B]

Now, if we were having chip shortages because they were all going into space exploration projects, rather than scalpers and Monopoly money, I would 110% support that endeavor.

I used to run SETI@home when I had cheap electricity.

 

[Zarathustra]

I haven't been following this project, but it fact that it uses embedded linux for control is no surprised. Linux is used on all sorts of embedded control systems.

The fact that is blowing my mind a little bit is that Mars has enough of an atmosphere that a helicopter would function. I had no idea!

 

[Uvilla]

Habitability and Mars, I don't know about all that. Fun and science, I do agree.